Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post Reply
Macc Lad
Posts: 15
Joined: 17 Aug 2014, 7:36pm

Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post by Macc Lad »

I've just written to my MP using the pro-forma on the link from CTC president Jon Snow's email I received yesterday, seeking support for the vote on an amendment to the Infrastructure Bill in the House of Commons next week.

Some fascinating information came with the email on the huge benefits from encouraging more cycling and walking through a properly planned cycling strategy, and well worth all CTC members showing their support by taking this up with their MP and forwarding the message on to other friends and family to do likewise.

It's a simple and straightforward process to write to your MP and I added some local points to the letter early on to highlight the situation in my village and surrounding area.
Steady rider
Posts: 2749
Joined: 4 Jan 2009, 4:31pm

Re: Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post by Steady rider »

http://www.ctc.org.uk/news/20150120-res ... 9s-economy

http://www.ctc.org.uk/sites/default/fil ... ummary.pdf

The process of providing for cycling may be improved by each village, town, city and county providing cycle route maps of existing and forward planning routes. Future housing and business developments would then tie into routes already planned for, making journeys more direct. This is design the cycle network to provide for maximum convenience and build around it, delivering maximum use of bikes and minimum vehicle use, saving on oil imports.
User avatar
Guy951
Posts: 1599
Joined: 14 Jul 2009, 8:23am
Location: Mid Beds

Re: Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post by Guy951 »

Steady rider wrote:Future housing and business developments would then tie into routes already planned for, making journeys more direct...


General Public & Transport Planners wrote:Why would people who ride a bike for an hour or two on a Sunday afternoon when the weather's nice need direct routes? Cycling's only a leisure activity. Isn't it? Are you telling me there are people who would actually use a "pushbike" to get somewhere?


This is the mindset we have to overcome if we are to get anything even remotely useful in terms of cycling for transport, rather than just for fun and/or sport. I have been arguing with motorists (in the pub, natch) who still don't believe bikes can be used for any "useful" journeys.
General Public wrote:It's a toy innit. You want a paper anna packet of fags you use the car dontcha.
:roll:
What manner of creature's this, being but half a fish and half a monster
Steady rider
Posts: 2749
Joined: 4 Jan 2009, 4:31pm

Re: Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post by Steady rider »

http://www.thebikestation.org.uk/storag ... n_2011.pdf

One point is about costs.
Comparing costs in London could be of interest.

http://www.fietsberaad.nl/library/repos ... ds2009.pdf
details show that cycling is more enjoyable to many people than car travel

Cost savings, enjoyment and fitness are parts where cycling has more appeal than driving for short distances and even for long distances on occasions.
TheHatter
Posts: 1
Joined: 3 Apr 2010, 4:52pm

Re: Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post by TheHatter »

Is this debate still happening? This is the response I got from my MP...

"Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the Infrastructure Bill.
I have researched this matter, and I understand that the amendments from Lords Berkeley and Teverson were tabled, fully debated and subsequently withdrawn during debates in the House of Lords. However, I am pleased to see that action is being taken that will encourage more walking and cycling here in the constituency.
Nationally, the Department for Transport has recently published a draft Cycling Delivery Plan which sets out how the Government will make the UK a cycling nation and enable walking and cycling to become the natural choices for shorter journeys or as part of a longer journey, for all. The Government has consulted on the Cycling Delivery Plan and Ministers will respond to the consultation shortly as to how this will be taken forward."
iviehoff
Posts: 2411
Joined: 20 Jan 2009, 4:38pm

Re: Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post by iviehoff »

TheHatter wrote:Is this debate still happening? This is the response I got from my MP...

"Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the Infrastructure Bill.
I have researched this matter, and I understand that the amendments from Lords Berkeley and Teverson were tabled, fully debated and subsequently withdrawn during debates in the House of Lords. However, I am pleased to see that action is being taken that will encourage more walking and cycling here in the constituency.
Nationally, the Department for Transport has recently published a draft Cycling Delivery Plan which sets out how the Government will make the UK a cycling nation and enable walking and cycling to become the natural choices for shorter journeys or as part of a longer journey, for all. The Government has consulted on the Cycling Delivery Plan and Ministers will respond to the consultation shortly as to how this will be taken forward."


In the same way that people distribute proforma letters to send to your MP, MPs are unsurprisingly supplied with proforma replies to them. As you can see, they usually run along the lines "that won't happen, but let me tell you about something great that is happening for people like you".
Macc Lad
Posts: 15
Joined: 17 Aug 2014, 7:36pm

Re: Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post by Macc Lad »

More than 5,000 CTC members/supporters have now emailed/written to their MP. Still time to add to that!
Ron
Posts: 1387
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 9:07pm

Re: Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post by Ron »

Macc Lad wrote:More than 5,000 CTC members/supporters have now emailed/written to their MP. Still time to add to that!

With all the hoohaa about EVEL in the political press , are there no concerns re SVEL on this occasion? :D
thirdcrank
Posts: 36781
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post by thirdcrank »

Macc Lad wrote:More than 5,000 CTC members/supporters have now emailed/written to their MP. Still time to add to that!


How can anybody know how many people have contacted their own MP about something? Where is the source of this figure?
PRL
Posts: 607
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 9:14pm
Location: Richmond upon Thames

Re: Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post by PRL »

TheHatter wrote:Is this debate still happening? This is the response I got from my MP...

"Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the Infrastructure Bill.
I have researched this matter, and I understand that the amendments from Lords Berkeley and Teverson were tabled, fully debated and subsequently withdrawn during debates in the House of Lords. "


Apparently the Government has now published its own amendment with a Cycling and Walking strategy.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... dnames.pdf
Steady rider
Posts: 2749
Joined: 4 Jan 2009, 4:31pm

Re: Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post by Steady rider »

Advising to allocate a minimum of 4% of the transport budget may improve the bill.

When housing developments take place they should leave access for at least one place about 4m wide, on each side of the development for cycling and walking and future routes that may be provided.

e.g housing developments tend to not leave access for possible cycle routes into adjacent areas. This leads to cyclists having to use the inlet roads and not having shorter routes to nearby locations.
keepontriking
Posts: 472
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 9:40pm
Location: Hampshire
Contact:

Re: Jon Snow email on cycling vote in the Commons next week

Post by keepontriking »

I do hope everyone has contacted their MP.

Mine is Sir George Young who has said he:
"will be in the House for the debate on the Infrastructure Bill and is sympathetic ... to doing more to promote cycling and walking.

My letter is here:
http://aheadabovetheparapet.blogspot.co ... ravel.html
Post Reply